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Why Women Speakers Have To Like Themselves

Every once in a while, you meet someone that you could talk to for hours and still not reach the end of an interesting discussion. Nancy Duarte is just that type of person.

Nancy Duarte and her husband Mark Duarte are the founders of Duarte, Inc., a company that provides one of the most unique serves for people that have to speak and present.

In the “about” section of their website it states, “Duarte creates presentations and offers training based on our unique VisualStory™ methodology, which applies storytelling and visual thinking to craft persuasive communications designed to shift audience beliefs and behaviors.”

Bottom line; Nancy Duarte is an expert in the art of delivering a message. The message is almost always delivered by an individual to a group or audience. The group or audience can be transfixed and even transformed if the message is delivered effectively by the speaker or presenter.

As you will see in the video interview, Nancy and I get into a pretty passionate discussion about some of history’s great speakers. Everything was going along well until I dropped the bomb.

“Where are the Women?”

I sat and listened while Nancy talked about great speakers, communicators and presenters. Then it hit me.

“What’s going on? Why are we only talking about men here?”, I asked Nancy.

That is when we got off track from my planned interview.

It is Time for Women to Stand Up and Have a Voice

I couldn’t help myself. Here is this extremely intelligent woman educating me on the art of visual storytelling and presentation value and she was only referring to males. I had to ask why women were not among her subjects. Where are the women speakers?

You see, my wife is a woman. My three daughters are women. Heck, the lady that gave birth to me was a woman. So I kind of expect that woman should be accepted as gifted speakers as equally as men.

It turns out that the problem, according to Nancy, is women themselves.

“One of the things women have to do is actually like themselves,” according to Nancy. “I think there’s a well of confidence that comes from this place of, instead of pity, of power for lack of a better cliché word.”

Do you agree with Nancy’s statement? Are their women speakers you admire? Find out how Nancy not only backs up her opinion, but also hear about a woman Nancy holds at high esteem for her ability to deliver a message. Watch the video.

Become a Better Presenter

Understanding the art of visual story telling and then putting it to effective use is something anyone, male or female, can accomplish. Nancy Duarte’s books, videos and blog posts can turn the average speaker into a really good one. You could also hire Nancy, but you will need to get in line behind Fortune 500 leaders, politicians and other high powered folks.

Watch this episode of my web-based TV show, Lead or Be Led, and turn your audiences into transfixed and transformed followers of your ideas and concepts.